You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore, rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing.

James 1:19-25

The apostle James taught that anyone who hears God’s Word but does not obey it, is kidding himself. He reads the Word and then dismisses it, not letting the Scriptures change him. As each of us obeys the Word, we progressively become more like Jesus.

If we honestly want to become more like Christ in our attitudes, actions, and reactions, we must regularly look into God’s mirror, which is the Bible. Looking is not enough. God’s Word will transform us, but only if we obey it.

Open your Bible prayerfully,

read it carefully, and obey it joyfully.

Our Daily Bread – January 15, 2004